,HRBUS84 FINAL PORTFOLIO EXAM 2026 -
COMPLETE ANSWERS
, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DIGITAL SOCIAL COMPARISON: A
MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS
Abstract
The pervasive nature of social media platforms has fundamentally altered the
landscape of interpersonal evaluation, shifting much of social comparison from
proximate, offline reference groups to curated, digital representations of peers
and influencers. This research project, titled The Psychological Impact of Digital
Social Comparison: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, aims to investigate the
psychological and behavioral consequences of frequent engagement in upward
social comparisons on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Grounded
in Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954), the study posits that the idealized
self-presentations ubiquitous on social media serve as potent triggers for upward
comparisons, which are linked to detrimental outcomes such as diminished
self-esteem, increased body image dissatisfaction, and heightened symptoms of
anxiety and depression (Vogel et al., 2014; Fardouly et al., 2015).
The research will employ a mixed-methods approach, utilizing a quantitative
survey to measure the correlation between social media usage intensity,
comparison orientation, and well-being metrics among a sample of young adults,
supplemented by qualitative interviews to explore the nuanced subjective
experiences and coping mechanisms related to digital self-evaluation. The
findings are anticipated to contribute to the growing literature on digital mental
health by delineating the specific mechanisms through which social media
comparison impacts self-concept, while also informing the development of more
nuanced digital literacy interventions and platform design ethics aimed at
mitigating these negative effects.
COMPLETE ANSWERS
, THE PSYCHOLOGICAL IMPACT OF DIGITAL SOCIAL COMPARISON: A
MIXED-METHODS ANALYSIS
Abstract
The pervasive nature of social media platforms has fundamentally altered the
landscape of interpersonal evaluation, shifting much of social comparison from
proximate, offline reference groups to curated, digital representations of peers
and influencers. This research project, titled The Psychological Impact of Digital
Social Comparison: A Mixed-Methods Analysis, aims to investigate the
psychological and behavioral consequences of frequent engagement in upward
social comparisons on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. Grounded
in Social Comparison Theory (Festinger, 1954), the study posits that the idealized
self-presentations ubiquitous on social media serve as potent triggers for upward
comparisons, which are linked to detrimental outcomes such as diminished
self-esteem, increased body image dissatisfaction, and heightened symptoms of
anxiety and depression (Vogel et al., 2014; Fardouly et al., 2015).
The research will employ a mixed-methods approach, utilizing a quantitative
survey to measure the correlation between social media usage intensity,
comparison orientation, and well-being metrics among a sample of young adults,
supplemented by qualitative interviews to explore the nuanced subjective
experiences and coping mechanisms related to digital self-evaluation. The
findings are anticipated to contribute to the growing literature on digital mental
health by delineating the specific mechanisms through which social media
comparison impacts self-concept, while also informing the development of more
nuanced digital literacy interventions and platform design ethics aimed at
mitigating these negative effects.
